Wayanad landslip: Two more bodies retrieved, toll rises to five
A landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project has claimed four lives, with nine injured and four still missing. Rescue efforts, hampered by heavy rain, continue.
A landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project has claimed four lives, with nine injured and four still missing. Rescue efforts, hampered by heavy rain, continue.
A landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project has claimed four lives, with nine injured and four still missing. Rescue efforts, hampered by heavy rain, continue.
Kalladi: The death toll in the devastating landslip at the Kozhikode–Wayanad twin-tunnel project at Kalladi near Meppadi rose to five after two more bodies were recovered during the search and rescue operations on Thursday. Three bodies were recovered earlier, while nine workers sustained injuries in the tragedy, two of them seriously. Three workers are still missing, and rescue teams are continuing intensive search operations.
The massive mudslide struck at around 11.15 am on Tuesday at the portal of the twin-tunnel project near Meenakshi Bridge, burying workers and heavy machinery under tonnes of earth and debris. Although authorities attempted to continue the search through the night on Wednesday, relentless rain and the risk of further landslides forced them to suspend the operation for safety reasons. The rescue mission resumed early on Thursday after weather conditions improved marginally.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, Police, district administration, and volunteers from various agencies are jointly carrying out the operation using earthmovers and specialised equipment. Officials said every effort was being made to trace the remaining missing workers.
The deceased has been identified as Rahul Sharma, an engineer of Dileep Buildcon Ltd., and excavator operator Muhammed Imran.
The bodies recovered on Thursday were damaged beyond recognition and were shifted to the Taluk Hospital at Vythiri. Revenue Minister A. P. Anil Kumar, overseeing rescue operations at the site, said the bodies were yet to be identified.
"The staff of Dileep Buildcon Ltd. and the relatives of the missing workers, who have been camping at the site since the accident, will be brought to the hospital to identify the body," he said, expressing hope that the remaining victims would be located by evening, provided the rain subsided, and weather conditions remained favourable for rescue teams.
Heavy rainfall has continued to hamper the operation, making the unstable terrain extremely challenging for rescue personnel. Authorities are closely monitoring the weather while continuing the search with utmost caution, as the possibility of fresh soil slips remains a concern.